New Raiders Stadium Idea In Early Stages; 50,000-Seat Number Called "Inaccurate"

More information regarding a new Raiders stadium could surface in the fall

The Raiders' latest stadium initiative "remains in the preliminary stages," as no "formal proposals have been made," according to Scott Bair of CSNBAYAREA.com. AECOM is conducting a feasibility study for a possible Oakland stadium, and Senior VP Dave Stone "cautioned against taking too much stock" from a Monday exploratory meeting of the Oakland-Alameda BOD that controls O.co Coliseum. The meeting generated discussion that the Raiders are "looking for a new 50,000-seat stadium that would cost" $800M and "require public funding to complete." But Stone said that those numbers are "not concrete and are merely estimates." The discussion regarding a new stadium is "in the academic stage, with better information due in the fall." The exact size and cost "remains in question." A 50,000-seat attendance figure in the initial proposal "struck a chord locally because it would make the Raiders' facility the NFL’s smallest venue." Stone: "In terms of having 50,000 seats, that’s very preliminary. In no way is it written in stone. … It’s a rough, round-number estimate" (CSNBAYAREA.com, 7/16). In S.F., Vic Tafur cites NFL and city of Oakland sources as saying that the 50,000-seat, $800M numbers were "premature and inaccurate." No Raiders team official was "present at the meeting" on Monday (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/17).